Press.



A. BATES.

PRESS.

APPLICATION rum; JUNE 23, 1909.

1 ,O30,800, Patented June 25, 1912.

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PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1909.

1,030,800. Patented June 25, 1912.

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ARTHUR BATES, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PRESS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BATES, a subject of the King of England, residing at Leicester, in the county of Leicester, England, have invented certain Improvements in Presses, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to presses and particularly to presses of the type in which the presser members are relatively movable into difierent operative relations to each other whereby one of said members may have a pressure surface area considerably less than that of the other, and yet be brought into operative relation to a cutting die placed upon any part of the pressure surface of the other member.

A very efficient press of this type is one now in commercial use for cutting out thin sheet material, such as upper leather for boots or shoes, and known to the trade as the clicking press or clicking machine. This press comprises usually a radial arm, hereinafter referred to simply as a presser memher, which is attached toa vertically reciprocating shaft or plunger rotatable or oscillatable in bearings at one side of a stock supporting bed, the presser member being preferably of a width considerably less than its length and having a pressure surface area preferably less than that of the bed. By turning the said presser member with its supporting shaft about the vertical axis of the latter it may be brought into pressing relation to a die placed upon any part of the bed.

In order to expose the stock to be operated upon as much as possible to facilitate the necessary inspection of the stock and the proper locating of the die and at the same time make the presser member as light as possible while providing sufficient die covering surface for ordinary clicking, the presser member of the clicking machine is preferably of a width less than the length of the longest dies sometimes used with these machines. I

For the best operation of this machine it is preferable that the die be entirely covered by the presser member at the time of the pressing operation, and, as above suggested, no difficulty is found in thus covering the Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd June 25, 1912,

Application filed June 23, 1909.

Serial No. 503,946.

die with the above described construction in ordinary clicking. When, however, an ex tra long die is being used, it will sometimes happen that it will be desirable for purposes of economy in cutting up the stock and for other reasons, to place the die upon the stock in such manner that its length extends across the width of the pressermember when the latter is brought into position over it and that, therefore, with the usual construction the die will not be entirely covered by the presser member. This location of the die with respect to the presser member could, of course, be avoided by turning the stock upon the bed, but it is inconvenient to do this and some of the advantages of the clicking press as now constructed would be done away with if it were found necessary to turn the stock frequently.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction in which the advantages of a narrow presser member may be maintained, such advantages being especially marked in ordinary clicking, and yet in which a long die may be covered when placed upon the stock with its longer dimension extending transversely to the presser member.

A further object of the invention is so to improve the construction of presses of the type above described, in which the presser member is supported at one side of the stock supporting bed to swing over said bed in an arc-shaped path, that a substantially narrow presser member may be employed and yet that its width may be increased at different points throughout its length.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention is herein shown as embodied in a construction in which the effective width of the presser member may be increased from the normal at the will of the operator so that there may be obtained a sufficient area of pressure surface for cover.- ingthe die in the different positions which it may occupy with relation to said member.

For convenience of illustration and description the invention is shown as applied to a press of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent to Arthur'Bates, No. 921,503, May 11, 1909, on improvements in machines for use in cutting out thin sheet materialsuch as upper leather for boots or shoes.

In the illustrated embodiment the presser member of a machine of the type disclosed in the application above identified is shown as provided with a member or platen that is so dimensioned and so disposed that by turning it in relation to the presser member the effective width of the latter will be increased for the purposes above specified, and it will therefore be seen that in one aspect the invention comprises the combination in a machine of the class described of presser members relatively movable, angularly or otherwise, into different operative relations to each other and a platen adjustable in its own plane upon one of said members. More specifically the invention comprises the combination in a machine of the class described of a presser member ungularly movable over a stock supporting bed and a platen carried by said member and angularly adjust-able in its own plane upon said member.

Preferably, as 'herein shown, provision is made for bodily adjustment of the platen longitudinally of the presser member in addition to its angular adjustment, and it will therefore be seen that in another aspect the invention comprises the provision in a ma chine of the class described in which the presser members are relatively movable into different operative relations to each other, whether such relative movement be angular or otherwise, of a platen which is both angularly and bodily adjustable upon one of said members. More specifically the invention comprises the combination with an angularly movable presser member of a platen bodily adjustable longitudinally of said presser member.

In still another aspect the invention may be said to comprise the provision in a machine having cooperating presser members of a platen both angularly and bodily adjustable upon one of said members to bring it into operative relation to a die placed over any part of the pressure surface of the other of said members.

In the illustrated embodiment the platen is so dimensioned that its length and width correspond to the length and width of the usual pressure surface provided upon the presser member of this type of machine, and it is therefore desirable when the platen has been turned into different angular relations to the presser member and has also been moved longitudinally of said member that it be returned to a predetermined longitudinal relation to said member when its dimensions are again brought into parallelism with the corresponding dimensions of said member. Provisionis preferably made, therefore, for automatically centering said platen longitudinally of said member as it is again returned into axial parallelism with said member after an angular and bodily adjustment.

An important feature of the invention therefore is the provision of means operating automatically as the platen is angularly moved into axial parallelism with the presser member to effect simultaneously a movement of said member into a predetermined position in the path along which it had bodily adjustment. V

Preferably means will be provided for locking the platen in one or more of its positions of adjustment.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine of the type of that disclosed in the above-identified application having embodied in its construction the invention of this application. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the presser member with the platen adjusted into a position transverse thereto; Fig. 3 is a detail plan with a portion of the presser member broken away to show more clearly the means for turning the platen into a predetermined position in its path of bodily adjustment as it is moved into axial parallelism with the presser member Fig. t illustrates the preferred means for locking the platen to the radial arm when in axial parallelism therewith.

The stock supporting bed 2 is mounted upon a bracket-like portion of the frame at of the machine and the radial arm or presser member 6 is arranged to be moved over said bed into different operative relations thereto turning at such times with the vertical shaft or plunger 8 to which it is attached about the vertical axis of the latter. The plunger 8 is mounted in upper and lower bearings 10 and 12, respectively, formed in the machine frame in such manner that it may turn in said bearings with the presser member 6 and also be guided in said bearings during its vertical reciprocation to effect a pressing operation of the presser member. The vertical reciprocation of the plunger 8 and of the presser member 6 is effected by suitable connections to a driving shaft 15 to which a loose pulley 14 may be clutched by any suitable clutch mechanism controlled through the clutch actuating rod 16 and the lever 18, said lever being pivoted at 20 in the machine frame and carrying at its forward end a starting handle 22.

The-forward arm of the lever 18 is provided intermediate the handle 22 and pivot 20 with a swivel surrounding the plunger 8 whereby the handle 22 is free to move with the presser member 6 over the bed and may also be employed to effect such movement. The operation of the parts thus far described is substantially the same as the operation of analogous parts in the machine of the patent above identified and need not be set forth herein in detail. The stock to be cut up is supported upon the bed 2 and a die 24 is placed upon the portion of the stock best suited for the particular blank to be cut by said die. The presser member 6 is then moved by the handle 22 into op erative position over the die 24, the handle 22 being depressed as soon as the presser member 6 has come into operative position, to'efl'ect the clutching of the driving pulley 14 to its shaft and through the connections above referred to, to effect the pressing operation of the presser member.

If the die be so positioned upon the bed and be of such dimensions that it is not entirely covered by the pressure surface of the presser member 6 during the pressing operation, as for example, if it be of a length greater than the width of the presser memher and be positioned with its length extending across the length of the presser member 6, the cutting operation will not be performed as satisfactorily as it would if the die were entirely covered. To permit a die which has a dimension greater than the width of the pressure surface of the presser member to be covered in any position in which it may be placed upon the bed with out efi'ecting a permanent increase in the normal width of the presser member and without effecting a radical change in the construction of the machine, provision has been made in the illustrated construction for moving that'portion of the presser member 6 upon which the pressure surface is formed into different angular relations to said member, whereby when the said surface is of a length greater than its width its longer dimension may be caused, if desired, to extend transversely to the presser member. According to this embodiment of the invention the working face of the presser member is provided with, or is formed upon, an adj ustable member or rotatably mounted platen 26, which, being longer in one direction than the other, can be adjusted angularly with relation to the presser member so as to afford suflicient working surface to act upon the die situated so that its longest dimension is transverse to and exceeds the width of the presser member. In this embodiment of the invention, the adjustable platen 26 is substantially rectangular in form and is mounted upon a pivot or stud 28 upon the presser member, the pivot being preferably situated midway between the sides of said member and near the longitudinal center of the part projecting over the bed when the platen 26 lies with its longer dimension parallel with the longer dimension of the presser member. The platen can thus be turned upon its pivot so that it will assume any desired transverse angular relation to the presser member. In order that the platen 26 may be brought into such relation to the bed 2 that it may cover the die 24 in any position in which it may be placed on any part of the bed, the said platen is preferably made not only angularly adjustable upon the resser member 6 but also bodily adjustab e thereon. Bodily adjustment of the platen 26 upon the presser memher 6 is permitted by a slot 30 in which the slide 32 carrying the pivot 28 is mounted, said pivot being threaded at its upper end and being surrounded by a spring 34 confined between a washer 36 below a nut 38 screwed upon said threaded end and a movable friction plate 40 by which the slide 32 is held in its adjusted position, the spring 34 serving also to press the platen 26 into frictional contact with the under side of the presser member 6 and thereby hold it in'its position of angular adjustment. The platen 26 is provided with a handle 42 by which it can be turned relatively to the presser member. Conveniently the handle is hinged to the platen as at 44 so that when the latter is not required to be angled the handle can be turned back out of the way.

A locking bolt or stud 46 is provided to pass through a hole in the presser member 6 and to engage with a recess or opening in the platen 26 so as to hold the said platen normally in one or more of its ositions, preferably to hold it securely in t l iat position in which it lies with its longer dimension parallel with the longer dimension of the presser member.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the locking device is constituted by a tongue 48 secured to, or formed upon, the boss of the handle 42 in such manner that when the handle is turned into its inoperative position said tongue will engage a notch 50 formed in the presser member 6 and thereby lock the platen in its normal position. Any suitable means may be provided for yieldingly maintaining the handle 42 in its operative position, such, for example, as the spring-pressed plunger 51 hearing against a flattened portion of the hub of the handle as shown in Fig. 4. In the preferred construction means is provided for returning the platen automatically into its normal position on the beam when it is turned upon the pivot 01' stud 28 into axial parallelism with the beam.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this means may comprise two links 52 and 54, each pivotally connected at one end to the platen 26. The links are provided at their respective ends remote from the pivots with upwardly extending projections 56, 58, which are guided in recesses or guiding grooves 60, 62, formed in the presser memher 6. Conveniently the grooves 60, 62 may be of the samewidth as and formed as ex tensions of the slot 80 hereinabove referred to. WVhen the platen is turned upon the pivot or stud 28, or both turned upon the stud and moved along the arm, the projections 56, 58 on the links 52, 54 will ride along the grooves 60, 62 and thus ofier no obstruction to the movement of the platen. When, however, the platen is turned upon its pivot or stud into axial parallelism with the presser member the said stud will be returned to its normal location by reason of one or the other of the projections 56, 58 engaging one of the abutments 64, 66 in the ends of the recesses 60, 62. To enable the platen to be held in frictional contact With the under side of the presser member not- .withstanding the provision of the links 52,

5a a recess 68 may be formed in the upper side of the platen of such size and shape as to receive the links and permit their necessary movement.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. A machine of the class described having, in combination, presser members arranged for relative angular movement into different operative relations to each other and a platen angularly adjustable upon one of said members to bring the pressure surfaces of said members into still different operative relations to each other.

2. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a presser mem ber angularly movable into different operative relations to said bed, and a pressure surface carrying member angularly adjustable upon said presser member to bring the pressure surfaces of sald members nto differentoperative relations to each other.

3. A machine of the class described, comprising presser members of difierent pressure surface areas and relatively movable into different operative relations to each other in such manner that pressure maybe applied at any point upon the pressure surface of either member, one of said members having provision for adjustment whereby the greatest dimension of its pressure surface may be caused to assume any desired angular relation to a defined dimension of the pressure surface of the other member.

4. A machine of the class described, comprising presser members relatively movable into difierent operative relations to each other and having pressure surfaces of different areas and a platen upon which the pressure surface of one of said members is formed angularly adjustable upon said member to bring the pressure surfaces of said members into still different operative relations to each other.

5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a presser member movable relatively to said bed into clifferent operative relations thereto, and a platen angularly and bodily adjustable upon said member.

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, presser members relatively movable into different operative relations to each other and having pressure surfaces diifering in area, and a platen upon Which the pressure surface of'one of said -members is formed angularly and bodily adjustable upon said member.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a presser member movable over said bed into different operative relations thereto, a platen angularly adjustable upon said member and means for locking said platen in an adjusted position on said member.

8. A machine of the class described having, in combination, cooperating presser members, a platen pivotally mounted .upon one of said members and a slide carrying the pivot of said platen, said member being provided with a guideway for said slide.

9. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a presser member movable over said bed into different operative relations thereto, a platen pivotally mounted upon said member, a slide carrying the pivot of said platen, said member being provided; with a guideway for said slide and means for frictionally holding said slide in adjusted position upon said member.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, cooperating presser members, a platen carried by one of said members and angularly and bodily adjustable thereon, and means for automatically returning said platen to a predetermined point in the path along which it had bodily adjustment as it is returned into its normal angular relation to said member after an angular and bodily adjustment.

11. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a presser member movable over said bed into different operative relations thereto, a platen carried by said presser member and bodily adjustable longitudinally thereof, said platen being also angularly adjustable with respect to said member at any point along its path of bodily adjustment, and means for automati cally returning said platen to a predetermined point in its path of bodily adjustment as it is returned to normal angular relation to said member.

12. A machine of the class described having, in combination, cooperating presser members, platen carried by one of said members andangularly and bodily adjustable thereon and means for automatically returning said platen to a predetermined point in the path along which it had bodily adjustment as it is returned into its normal angular relation to said member comprising links each pivoted at one end to said platen and provided at its other end with a stud entering a guideWay in said member.

13. A machine of the class described having, in combination, cooperating presser members, a platen carried by one of said members normally in predetermined angular and bodily relations thereto, said platen being both angularly and bodily adjustable on said member, and means operating while said platen is being brought into one of its normal relations to said member to bring it automatically into its other normal rela tion to said member.

14. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a presser member movable over said bed into different operative relations thereto, a platen angularly adjustable upon said member and a handle attached to said platen to be grasped by the operator in effecting said angular adjustment.

15. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a presser member movable over said bed into different operative relations thereto, a platen angularly and bodily adjustable upon said member and a handle associated with said platen and arranged to be grasped by the operator to effect both the angular and the bodily adjustments of said platen.

16. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, and a presser member movable over said bed into different operative relations thereto, a platen adjustably carried by said member, a handle connected to said platen for effecting adjustments thereof and arranged to be moved out of the way of the operator when not in use.

17. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a die movable over said bed, a presser member angularly movable into operative relation to the die Wherever located on said bed, and a presser surface carrying member angularly adjustable on said presser member.

18. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a die movable over said bed, a presser member movable into position over the die Wherever located on said bed and a platen on said presser member adjustable to cover a die longer than the width of said presser member.

19. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a bed, a pressure applying member angularly movable into different operative relations to said bed and having a pressure surface area less than that of the bed, a die freely movable over the bed, said die having a length greater than one of the dimensions of the pressure surface of said pressure applying member but less than another dimension, and a platen upon which the pressure applying surface of said member is formed, said platen being angularly adjustable upon said member whereby the die may be entirely covered by the pressure surface of said pressure applying memberc l in any location of said die upon said be 20. In a machine of the class described, a bed, a pressure applying member movable over said bed about a vertical axis at one side of said bed, said member having a pres sure surface area less than that of the bed, a die freely movable over the bed, one of the surface dimensions of said die being greater than one of the pressure surface dimensions of said member, and a platen upon which said pressure surface is formed adjustable upon said member to cover said die in any location of said die upon said bed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR BATES.

W'itnesses:

EMILY HrrHnRsAY, ARTHUR ERNEST JERRAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,030,800, granted June 25, 1912,

upon the application of Arthur Bates, of Leicester, England, for an improvement in Presses, an errorappears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4:, line 31, after the word into, insert the word still; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of October, A. D., 1912.

O. (J. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL] 

